“Basically, you blew a fuse,” says internist Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers and author of From Fatigued to Fantastic (Avery Trade, 2007).

“Fibromyalgia represents an energy crisis,” says Teitelbaum, who suffers from the condition. “You’re spending more energy than you can make.”

If you’re wondering why or how you developed the disorder, don’t expect an easy answer. Fibromyalgia may run in some families and tends to follow infections, physical or emotional trauma — or appears for no reason at all. Women are four to seven times more likely to have it than men, but reasons are unclear.

Emotionally, you may be feeling confused, afraid and angry when neither you nor your doctor knows what’s happening to your body. In fact, your physician may even tell you there’s no medical problem and refer you to a psychotherapist.

“You may see eight doctors before you know what you have,” says Teitelbaum. “So you and your family may be given the impression that you’re crazy.”

It took Patricia Stephens, 62, author of Reversing Chronic Disease: A Journey Back to Health (Tate Publishing, 2010), seven years before doctors put a name to her symptoms.

“I felt anxiety and fear,” Stephens says. “I was afraid of losing my job as a teacher, that I couldn’t raise my children or keep my marriage together, and that I would lose purpose and productivity.”

Researchers are investigating hormones, immune system differences, brain chemistry and genetics for answers. Because sufferers are especially sensitive to physical pain, they suspect that nervous system problems may be a culprit.

Fibromyalgia pain is generally focused on 18 points on both sides of the body where pressure causes tenderness. If sensitivity lasts at least three months in 11 out of 18 pressure points or muscle locations you may have fibromyalgia, according to the American College of Rheumatology.

Making matters more confusing, fibromyalgia sufferers may also be diagnosed with other conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, a gastrointestinal disorder characterized by either constipation or diarrhea; headaches; and/or temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), which is inflammation of the jaw joint.

Treatments: Conventional treatments typically address pain and sleeplessness. In 2007, pregabalin (Lyrica), an anti-seizure drug usually used to treat epilepsy, was the first drug approved to treat the physical pain of fibromyalgia.

Besides one of these medications, your doctor may suggest nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) to ease pain and stiffness.

A recent breakthrough is the discovery of a new retrovirus, xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV), found in most people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

“Within a year or two, there will be a test for CFS, which tends to overlap with fibromyalgia,” predicts Teitelbaum.

Though the link between CFS and fibromyalgia hasn’t been determined, the conditions may share a common cause, which is why the discovery of the virus is important. Researchers suspect that XMRV may lie behind other illnesses as well.

Steps you can take: Teitelbaum recommends a regimen he calls “SHINE”:

Sleep. For a better night’s rest, keep the bedroom at 65°F; take a hot bath before sleep to relax your muscles; and spray pillows with lavender oil, which helps promote sleep, he advises. Take 75-150 milligrams of magnesium, a natural relaxant, before bed. And avoid caffeine. Aim for 8-9 hours of shut-eye a night.

Hormones. Ask your doctor to test you for a possible hormone deficiency.

Infections. Lack of sleep may raise your vulnerability to viral or yeast infections. If you’re sick, see your doctor for treatment.

Consider having a massage. This may sound masochistic, given your sensitivity to pressure. However, fibromyalgia patients who got 30-minute massages twice weekly for five weeks slept longer with less restlessness during the night and suffered less anxiety and depression, according to a 2002 study at the University of Miami School of Medicine. They also registered lower levels of substance P, a neurotransmitter that raises pain sensitivity, which is often two to three times higher in fibromyalgia sufferers than people without the disorder.

In Treatment: Even if you take medications (for example, pregabalin or antidepressants), you may still feel achy and fatigued — and frustrated that you’re not 100% up to par.

“Having fibromyalgia can increase the risk of depression and anxiety,” says geriatric psychiatrist William Uffner, M.D., medical director for the Older Adult Program at Friends Hospital in Philadelphia.

While being treated for fibromyalgia, continue with self-care steps, including the SHINE regimen (above). Additional steps can include:

Assess your mood. If you’re a grouch when you’re hungry, you may be low on cortisol, an adrenal stress hormone, says Teitelbaum. A holistic physician can check cortisol levels and perhaps prescribe a very low dose of cortisol. Go to www.holisticboard.org for a list of board-certified holistic physicians.

Record your sleep. Sleep disturbances may be caused by sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing is interrupted, or restless-leg syndrome, a condition that involves involuntary leg movements. Teitelbaum suggests videotaping yourself while sleeping: if your legs are twitching or you stop breathing periodically, see a sleep specialist.

Supplement energy. Teitelbaum recommends taking ribose (Corvalen), a nutrient involved in energy production, to raise levels energy levels. “Studies show that patients’ energy increased 61% after three weeks, and sleep improved,” he says. His suggested dose is five grams three times a day for three weeks, then twice a day..

Tips for Caregivers: “You want to support your loved one, and you see what they’re going through,” says Teitelbaum. “But you’re struggling with the extra load.”

As a caregiver, you may feel stressed and tired as you take on more responsibilities. You may also start to question whether your loved one is really ill.

“Caregivers are completely frustrated that they can’t get answers,” says Stephens.

Steps you can take:

Offer support. Your loved one already feels alone — and maybe foolish, for having an illness a doctor may not validate. “The No. 1 thing patients need to know is that you love and accept them,” says Teitelbaum.

Educate yourself. Learning about fibromyalgia can help you understand what your loved one is going through.

Avoid burnout. Learn to say “no” sometimes, says Teitelbaum: “Otherwise you’ll burn out and be useless to the person with the disease. Or you’ll get sick yourself.”

Reserve some independence. Continue to do things you love apart from your loved one: hobbies, meeting up with friends, exercise. This will help you focus on the parts of your life that are going well, says Uffner.

Get support. Ask your doctor to refer you to a caregiver support group.

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